Apparatus for enrobing confections with chocolate



July 4, 1944. E. c. JOHNSTON 'ET A1.

APPARATUS FOR ENROBING CONFECTIONS WITH CHOCOLATE Filed NOV. 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nevz? J. Ensae/ Dba-'FM James/7n 0 000 0000 V00 00000000000 000 0000 000 00000000003 0 0000 00000 0000 000000 c0000 o0 o 0000 00000 000 WOOOOO 00009 0 0000 00 0 00000 00000 A on 0000 QMQW WWWDo wooooo nu O 000 0000 0000 0000000 on.v 0 000 0000 0000 0000000 00 Q 000 00000 0000 000 On 0 00V 00000 0000 u 0 O o 0000 00000 0000 o U o 00 0 0000 00000 0000 w 0 o 00 000900000 V000 0 0 0000 00000 0000 a Q 000 00000 0000 0 .u Doo 00000 000 a July 4, 1944- E. JOHNSTON ET AL APPARAT FOR ENROBING CONFECTION S WITH CHOCOLA -Filed Nov. 27,' 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Edward Jhnsan N91/zn J. Russe/ DZVEFZ Jamsan Patented July 4, 1944 APPARATUS Foa ENROBING coNFEcrIoNs WITH onoooLA'rE `Edward C. Johnston, Nevin J. Russell, and Robert M. Jameson, Milwaukee Wis.,v assignors to RohertA. Johnston Company., Milwaukee, Wis.. a corporation of Wisconsin Application November'27, 1941, Serial No. 420,682

(Cl. ill-2) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of candy and refers more particularly to enrobing methods and apparatus.

In the enrobing of confections with chocolate,

thechocolate Should be maintained at a predetermined temper as it is known in the 'industry. This state or condition involves Vthe various factors known to candy makers, as for instance, the consistency of the chocolate. However, notwithstanding the need for maintaining the chocolate at a uniformly proper temper, past methods and apparatus used for the enrobing of candyA and other coni'ections required each girl Oroperator to maintain her own supply o1' tempered chocolate. Hence, the temper of the chocolate used was subject to the discretion of each individual operator. Lack of uniformity in the finished product was thus inevitable.

' Moreover, with these past methods, approximately twenty per cent of the operatoris time was spent in the unproductive handling of chocolate and trays. u

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animpi'oved method andaunew apparatus for carrying out the enrobing oi candies and other coniections with chocolate whereby uniform results are assured and the operators are enabled to devote their entire time to actual dipping. l

This invention has as another of its `objects to provid-e an apparatus for the purpose described wherein the dipped or enrobed pieces of candy or other confection are assembled on a continuous or endless conveyor arranged inA sections or dened areas each of which" is intended to hold a complete assortment to thus facilitate packaging.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel method and in the novel combination and arrangement of mechanical expedients for carrying the same into eiect, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the vscope of the claims.

The `accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodimentoi the invention, constructed in accordance with the best mode so far' devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is atop plan view illustrating diagrammatcally one embodiment of this invention;

regule 2 i's a cross-.sectionalview taken through Figuie 1v on the Vplane oftlieli'ne 2--2'.

Figure 3 is adetail view illustrating part of the apparatusyin sideelevationV and showing the manner in which tliechocolate usedy for the enrobing is returned to, amcentral source of supply;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figurel 3` but showing another portiono the apparatus toV illustrate the manner in which the finished candy or confection is transferredv from one conveyor to another; and Y l Figure 5 is an enlarged-detail View ofv this latter portion of the apparatus.Y

Referring now particularly to the accompanying` drawings' in which n ike numeiais indicater like parts,` thenumeral 5 designates an endless conveyor suitably mounted and driven to have its upper Y stretch travelA along substantially a horizontal' path-which extends through a cooling tunnel indicated generally by the numeral 6'.

The conveyor 5 comprises briefly a heavy apron 'l which constitutes the driving' and mainA supporting portion ori-the conveyor and which is suitably supported andQt-rained over a drinn 8 adjacent to the outlet of thecooling tunneL'and an outer thinner aprorr 9' supportedl on the main carrying apron. The kapron 9 has a glazedouter suri'aceso that candy wi-ilnot readilyadhere toit. Adjacent to the drum' 81 the outer apron travels ahead in a straight tangent line to pass over a sharp corner I so` thatl the candy carried thereby may be transferred to a delivery conveyor l I, the 'transfer being facilitated by a roller I2 at the junction ofY thle'- two conveyors vas best shown in Figure 5v( l 'Ihe conveyor 5l provides' al carrier for the dipped or enrobed pieces 'ci' candy or conifection, which are deposited thereon by the opera-tors whosit in rows' alongV the length of the conveyor. Along'each side of the conveyor isacliiocoiate carrying conveyor t3.v These latter conveyors may oe o1" any suitable'construction, as for instance endless 'belts trained over pulleys Aordrurns, and suitably supportedv along their upper vand lower stretches to have a1; leasttheirupper stretches travelling along substantiailyf horizontal paths at opposite sides of the conveyor 5. Q

As best shown in Figure 2, ,the top s'tretclies of the conveyors,v lf3. haveguard" structures i4 built around them. These guard structures have marginaled'ge` portions extendingl dlownov'er.` the upper edges of the top stretches of theconv'eyors 3 so as to' form troughs'.`

BeingV located .adjaoenttd thezsde edges `of the. conveyorV 5 these` troughs'aie positionedlbetween the conveyor and the operators stations. Each conveyor Kills 'adapted to have properly which are fed from a central source of supply (not shown) being connected thereto by pipe lines l1.

Inasmuch as the tempering pots or units IS form no part of this invention, their structure,

has not been illustrated. It is to be observed,

however, that each unit is equipped with a pump I8 for discharging the properly tempered choco.v

late onto its conveyor I3.

At the end of the upper stretch of each conveyor I3 the chocolate remaining thereon is removedby means of a scraper blade I9 or the like to discharge into a receptacle or hopper 20 which is connected with a pipe line 2| to return the chocolate back to the central source. In a large manufacturing establishment this central source mayl be located at a considerable distance from the enrobing apparatus and as will be readily apparent in such instances the necessary pumps are provided for conveying the chocolate through the distributing pipes. This distribution system, however, forms no part of this invention,l for it is merely necessary to supply the tempering pots orl units with chocolate and to" return the chocolate Whichremains on the conveyors I3 at the end of their upper stretch to the source of supply for r'e-delivery to the tem-V pering pots. l

, Inl this manner freshly and properly tempered chocolate is continuously available to, all ofthe pera tors.l This not only relieves the operators fromthe .necessity of individual handling of trays and tempering equipment but also assures uniform results.

`Another advantage of this invention resides in the fact that one of the conveyors I3 may bev suppliedvvith light or milk chocolate While" the other is supplied yWith dark or bitter-,sweet Chocolate,

`As stated the operators dipthe pieces of candy or other .confection into the streams of chocolate carried along by the conveyors I3 and place them on the conveyor 5,. Each operator preferably dips one kind of candy or confection, and to facilitate packaging, complete assortments of the different kinds of candy or confection are kept segregated on the conveyor by providing the same with suitable markings or indicia which divide the conveyor surface into separated `sections or areas.v In the `embodiment illustrated, dividing lines 22 are delineated on the surface of the conveyor for this purpose.

Each section or areathus defined is adapted to hold a complete assortment if both conveyors I3 are carrying the'same kind oflchocolate.` If light and dark chocolate are* being used, one-,half the y sections or areas are loaded with pieces of confection enrobed with light, and the other half are loaded with piecesenrobed with dark chocolate. Hence, in packaging, 'mixed assortments may be readily assembled'.Y

The packaging of the candy is done along the conveyor II, and to facilitate such packaging, endless conveyors 23'are disposed at .Opposite sides of the conveyorv'II with'their top stretches positioned to advance boxes to be filled along with the conveyor II and past rows of packaging operators who assemble the assortments into the boxes in layers.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent that this invention provides a practical and highly. desirable improvement in the method of and equipment for enrobing candy and other confections with chocolate, and that it effects a considerable saving in the cost thereof and assures uniform results.

While the foregoing description is directed primarily to a method of and apparatus for enrobl ing candy and confections with chocolate it is, of course, obvious that the same method and apparatus can be employed for other similar purposes as for instance the application of sugar coatings to bon bons and the like and it is to be understood that where the terms coating and coating materials are employed inthe claims.' it is intended to cover not only chocolatebut'su'ch'.

other comparable coating materials.

What We claim as our invention is:v a 1. In an apparatus for enrobing candyy and other confections with chocolate and other coatl: ing material the combination of an elongated coating material carrier for supporting and 'coI- ducting coating material linearly'al'ong a definedV I horizontal path through an enrobing Z'one 'in' which candy centers are hand dipped intoy the:

coating material; and means for"coriti'nuoi'lsl'y discharging freshly tempered coating material directly onto said carrier in such volume' that' L) an exposed stream' of tempered coating m'a'tte'riall is continuously carried away'from the source andA through the enrobing zone sothat a plurality of operators stationed in said enrobing zone alongl the length of the carrier may dip pieces of candyand otherfconfections into freshly tempered coat;` ing material to produce confectionshaving the same coating characteristics. 1

2. In an apparatus fory enrobing candy and other confections with chocolate, the combinan tion of: an endless beltfconveyor mounted to have its upper stretch *travel/along substantially a horizontal path through an enrobing zonerthe length of which is substantially equal toA the length of the upper stretch of the conveyor;'a chocolate tempering unit adjacent to one end of the enrobing zone and adapted tobefedwith molten chocolate from a central source c f ply; means for continuously discharging freshlyl tempered chocolate from said unit directly onto said upper stretch of the conveyor, so that the, chocolate is carried thereby away from thetempering unit to the end of the enrobing *zone op; posite the tempering unitas` an exposed uninterrupted stream extending along said substantially horizontal path so that a numbr'fof operators stationed along the length of theY conveyo'rmay dip candy and other confections intothefreshly' tempered chocolate and whereby thepie'ces hanl dled by all of the opratr'sfhav .the 4sainev coatll ing characteristics; and means atMsai'd opposite end of the enrobing zone forreceivihg the lchocolate from the conveyorat the vendv of the runof its upper stretch and for'condcting said choco;- late to the central source forretrn 'tothe te'mpering unit. l

' 3. An apparatus for enrobingcandy 'and other of confections with chocolate'an'd similar coatcoating material for passage along a horizontal path through an enrobing zone of substantial length; means for continuously discharging tempered coating material in substantial volume from the outlet of the tempering unit directly onto the endless belt so that the tempered coating material is carried away from the tempering unit as an exposed uninterrupted stream of substantial depth; and means for continuously conducting the tempered coating material from the end of said stream back to the inlet of the tempering unit for retempering and redischarge onto 5r the conveyor.

EDWARD C. JOHNSTON. NEV'IN J. RUSSELL. ROBERT M. JAMESON. 

